BCCI full of Srinivasan pals

Chennai: N. Srinivasan accomplished the first part of his mission. At the Indian cricket board's 84th AGM held on his home turf on Sunday, the BCCI president not only extended his term by one more year but also rewarded his loyalists for backing him during the turmoil in the wake of the IPL spot-fixing and betting scandal. That he went beyond his southern bastion to please key members of the East Zone reveals Srinivasan's desire to extend his total control over BCCI. It will be East Zone's turn to pick the next president. So confident was `Srini' of having his way that he brushed aside the observations made by the apex court in various cases while using fully the Supreme Court's most recent conditional goahead for the AGM. The second half of his mission has to do with taking charge as president since the top court said he cannot take charge even if he gets re-elected. Rajeev Shukla, the newly elected vice-president, said Mr Srinivasan chairing the meeting was not contempt of court. Ranjib Biswal has finally made it. After narrowly missing out on the Board secretary post at the 2010 AGM, the Orissa Cricket Association chief became the Indian Premier League chairman on Sunday. The top IPL job had been earmarked for someone with political affiliation after Congress leader Rajiv Shukla quit in the wake of the IPL spotfixing scandal. But Biswal, son of former Odisha deputy chief minister Basant Kumar Biswal, got the nod only after a raging debate. He edged out big names such as G.R. Vishwanath and Jagmohan Dalmiya. Like in 2010, Biswal faced stiff oppositions from his very own East Zone affiliates, but N. Srinivasan had the final say. The Odisha official is a loyalist of Srinivasan and has been the Indian team as manager on several occasions including the Men in Blue’s 2011 World Cup triumph at home. After bagging the high-profile IPL post, the former first-class all-rounder has made way for Kerala’s T.C. Mathew as the chairman of the National Cricket Academy Board. “He couldn’t get the secretary post in 2010 because of back-room manoeuvrings and zonal politics. Srinivasan threw his weight behind his candidature but even he couldn’t help him then. The NCA post was just a compromise,” said a BCCI official. With a petition against him filed by Cricket Association of Bihar still pending at the Supreme Court, Srinivasan ensured his loyalists were happy men at the end of the AGM. He also succeeded in removing those belonging to the rival camp. Dalmiya, who came in as interim president when Srinivasan stepped aside amidst pressure, has been named the chairman of the new North East Development Committee after failing to get the IPL job. The 73year-old is reportedly not so pleased. He, however, played down the issue. The fate of the South Africa tour is still hanging in the balance as the issue never came up for discussion in the AGM. Shukla, the newly-appointed chairman of the Tour Programme and Fixtures Committee, said a meeting has been convened on October 3 to decide the venues for the West Indies Tour and the fate of SA Tour. As a result of the IPL spot-fixing scandal, an Anti-Corruption and Security Committee has been constituted. Amitabh Choudhary, a former ADGP of Jharkhand, will chair it. Srinivasan will not take charge until SC order, says Shukla DC CORRESPONDENT N. Srinivasan has been reelected with his loyalists taking key positions in his `cabinet'. But the BCCI president can't take charge as per the Super Court directive. Hearing the petition filed by the Cricket Association of Bihar, the SC is likely to decide Srinivasan's future on Monday . The newly appointed BCCI vice-president and Congress leader Rajeev Shukla said Srinivasan “wouldn't assume charge as per Supreme Court directive“. “He has made it very clear that he will not take charge after the elections. Srinivasan told us `After AGM, all the new office-bearers will take over except me,” Shukla said.Shukla said the AGM was chaired by Srinivasan and it “was not contempt of court.” “AGM has to take place under new president and it was not against the Supreme Court directive,” he added. I hold no grudges, says Shah DC CORRESPONDENT Former BCCI vice-president Niranjan Shah told reporters on Sunday that N. Srinivasan had chaired the Board's AGM. He denied reports that he was being sidelined by the BCCI. Excerpts: On the AGM: The Board has conducted the AGM as per its constitution. I'm happy with the way everything progressed. Who chaired the meeting Srinivasan. Who will have signing authority I don't know about it. We will know it by Monday . Do you think you were sidelined because you didn't get an extension as vice-president No, certainly not. It is part of the democratic process of the BCCI. On the decision of three vice-presidents not to seek extension: It is not necessary that we have to seek an extension. As I had said earlier, it's part of a process. I don't have any grudge over it.